I gotta learn how to type!

I have gotten away with out being able to type well for years, I can type, faster than average, but I don't place my fingers on the ASDF JKL; keys, in high-school I used this typing program, is there a type writing program to teach me how to type the right way? and without occasionally looking at my keyboard?

this is a concern now because for the past 2+ years I have only typed on my PowerBook, I love the keyboard, it's so compact and your fingers don't have to travel accross it. But I just recently got an intel iMac, and typing is such a chore, I can't get my eyes off the keyboard.

Type a sentence in text edit, put your fingers on the home row and then try to reach each key with each finger...yes, I know there's a "right" finger that's supposed to reach the right key, but you don't do that 2 weeks after learning it anyway, you adapt. So you might as well start off adapting.

Type a sentence in text edit, put your fingers on the home row and then try to reach each key with each finger...yes, I know there's a "right" finger that's supposed to reach the right key, but you don't do that 2 weeks after learning it anyway, you adapt. So you mine as well start off adapting.

Good luck.

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ok I have made a resolution, for the next 2 weeks, I will type the right way, even if I am slower... thank you, I will give it a shot

oh man, this is something ive been wanting do for years. I can type much much faster then the avg. person but I dont use the right places either and I type with mainly 3 fingers on each hand. I cant seem to get past my own style though lol

I did learn how to type and it's mostly repetition. The way I was taught was to put one's fingers on the home keys (asdf ;lkj) and type asdfg, asdfg, etc. ;lkjh, ;lkjh, etc reaching one's forefingers to the g and h keys. The right thumb is used for the spacebar - the reason for this is that if you use either thumb there will be a split-second delay as you choose which thumb to use every time you use it.

When you can type words that use a combination of those letters easily, reach up to the next row, small left finger for q etc. while keeping as many of the rest as is comfortable on the home keys. qwert, poiuy, qwert, poiuy,etc. Same goes with the bottom row.

The repetition is a bit boring at the time but worth it. I never think about the where the letters are; I look at what I want to copy or think about what I want to say and the words just come out of my fingers. On the odd occasion where I don't have my fingers on the keys and just need to type a single character, I have to think about where it is!

You know I never realized that I was that way too! I basically type with my index fingers and when I start typing much faster my other fingers start subconsciously helping! I just think if there is no test at the end of this life, I might as well not worry about studying I stay the way I am

Type a sentence in text edit, put your fingers on the home row and then try to reach each key with each finger...yes, I know there's a "right" finger that's supposed to reach the right key, but you don't do that 2 weeks after learning it anyway, you adapt. So you mine as well start off adapting.

Good luck.

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I have to agree...I learnt it simply by using computers....just kept typing the way that felt the most comfortable

Staff Member

I have to agree...I learnt it simply by using computers....just kept typing the way that felt the most comfortable

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I know a lot of people think that, but I've talked to people who've learned the traditional way, and people who've just done what feels right, and it seems pretty clear that those who learned the traditional way type faster, more accurately and - most importantly - have a been positioning of the hands (important for preventing carpal tunnel etc).

It's worth a try, now that there are free online tutors. It really doesn't take long to learn.

I learned typing in school, but it really came down to just using computers all the time. There is this one app (not sure if its for OSX, might just be for OS9 and below...you'd be out of luck because Intel Macs don't support classic) called Mavis Beacon (God I'm not sure if that's the name, eh it might be).

I initially learned how to type in a 9th grade business class. The class was taught on IBM selectric typewriters and I could never get much above 40 wpm. That is about the time my family got their first computer and i've been typing ever since.

I would say practice is the best thing to improve your typing skills. Maybe typing newspaper or online news articles to give you something to practice with...

I think chat programs would help you learn the keyboard layout but I know it doesn't help my spelling one bit....

There is this one app (not sure if its for OSX, might just be for OS9 and below...you'd be out of luck because Intel Macs don't support classic) called Mavis Beacon (God I'm not sure if that's the name, eh it might be).

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Yeah, its Mavis Beacon, and there is Mac OS X version, works perfectly even on Leopard. Check the full story at wikipedia

BTW, its really hard to keep your eyes away from keyboard, it would be good if they had an option to completely hide it while practicing.

From my experience the real touch typing comes to you after AIMing in a dark room (without keyboard highlighted), but only after playing with something like Mavis Beacon for a while of course

My mom made me learn how to touch-type one summer. She said that it would help me get a good job. She was right, but definitely not in the way that she thought she'd be. She thought I could be a secretary or something, she never imagined that I'd end up a software engineer.

Her method for making me learn to touch-type was to drape a dishtowel over my hands and keyboard so that I couldn't cheat. It worked. I now type 120+ wpm, and can easily have a conversation with someone standing in my office while I'm typing something else. It's definitely a useful skill to have.

I took a typing class in high school (around '91) on PC keyboards in our computer lab...talk about DULL. I thought it would be great to learn how to touch type, but everytime we did a speed drill, I instinctively went back to my "incredibly fast hunt and peck" method

I really got up to speed without having to look at the keys when I was on IRC from '92 till at least 2006 or so. I'm not even looking at the keys as I type this, because I just instinctively know where the letters are. Sure I make the occasional error, but repetition is the key whether you use "hunt and peck" or the "home row" way.

I seem to do a combination on how I type. I sometimes do not look at the keyboard but I am not that accurate at it. I was able to type that last sentence till the y in keyboard but messed up after it. I only use 1 finger per hand but can go really fast on my normal keyboards (PB and hackbook and most other laptops. I almost never use desktops anymore.)

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